Melodion



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. JONES, OF JAMAICA PLAINS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY IV. SMITH, OF W'EST NEVTON, AND S. D. SMITH, OF VEST ROXBURY, MASSAOH 7SETTS.

MELODION.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 29,037, dated July 3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H.V JONES, of Jamaica Plains, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Melodions, and do hereby declare the same to be fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1, is a top view of the bass and treble keys of a melodion with my invention applied thereto. Figs. 2, and B, are front and rear elevations of the same. Fig. el, is an underside view of the valve chamber, the same representing the portions of the two sets of treble and bass reed valves. Fig. 5, is a longitudinal section taken through the bass and treble reed pins, Fig. 6, is a transverse section taken through one of the reeds of the bass keys and exhibiting a reed valve, its chamber, valve pin and key. Fig. T is a similar section taken through one of the treble keys.

My invention has reference to a single set of bass and treble reeds in which those of the bass are arranged in a chamber separate from that which contains those of the treble, such invention consisting mainly in arranging the bass swell valve and opening at the back of the reed board and the Jtreble swell valve and opening at the front thereof or with reference to the keys as hereinafter described. Also, in arranging the two sets of treble and bass reeds in a peculiar manner with reference to the line of valve pins and each other.

In the drawings, the reeds of the treble are represented at a, a, &c., while those of the bass are exhibited at b, b, &c., all of them being arranged upon one reed board or plane A, and in or partially in separate swell chambers B and C, formed above such reed board. One ofthese chambers, viz., that of the treble reeds, opens on the front of the reed board or directly underneath the front ends of the' keys (Z, (l, (Z, of the treble reeds, while the other chamber opens in rear of the said board or the bass keys c, c, c. Swell valves f, and g, are applied to these openings respectively and arranged in relation to them and the reed board as shown in the drawings. Thus, the treble swell valve will be on the front of the instrument while the bass swell valve will be made to open toward its back. Furthermore, all the valve pins,

7L, L, 7L, are arranged vertically and parallel to each other and in one straight line with each other as shown in the drawings, the reeds and reed valves being so arranged that all the valves ofthe treble reeds shall be made to open downward at their rear ends, while all those of the bass reeds open downward at their front ends.

The arrangementof the two sets of valves is exhibited at 7c, c, and Z, Z, Z, in the drawings, that is to say, the set of treble valves with their reeds are arranged nearer to the front of the instrument than are the bass reeds and their valves.

By my arrangement of the swell valves I am enabled to very much improve the tone of the instrument and particularly that obtained from any one or more of the treble reeds. So by the peculiar arrangement of the two sets of treble and bass reeds and their valves relatively to the valve pins arranged in one straight line I am enabled to employ swell chambers of smaller size than would be the case were the two sets valves with all their front or all their rear ends in a straight line with each other, it being desirable to reduce the size of the swell chamber as much as possible for reasons well known.

I do not claim two separate swell chambers, one being for the bass and the other for the treble reeds, nor do I claim with two entire sets of reeds (each being composed of the usual bass and treble reeds) so arranging the swell valves that one shall be on the front of one reed board and the other on the back of the other, as I employ with my invention a single set of bass and treble reeds only; therefore,

I claiml. IVith a single set of bass and treble reeds and two swell valves therefor, arranging one swell valve at the back of the reed board and the other swell valve at the front thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Arranging the two sets of treble and bass reeds relatively to the line or range of valve pins and with respect to each other as specified.

SAMUEL H. JONES.

`Witnesses H. W. SMITH, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

